Languages

Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians for around 40,000 years before its discovery by Europeans and it is estimated there were 200-300 native languages. Typically though, English is the de facto language spoken and written in the country, with a large influx of immigrants from a variety of countries bringing their own languages with them. Recent censuses reveal there are a number of other languages spoken in Australia including Italian, Greek, Arabic, Vietnamese and Cantonese.

Weights and Measurements

Prior to 1970 Australia used the imperial measurement system but the change to metrication was complete by 1988.  The metric system has on the whole been adopted throughout the country, unlike some other countries that have not changed or have experienced delays such as the US or the UK. 

Sending parcels and quoting weights and measurements on parcels bound for Australia should therefore be done in metric measurements such as kilograms and centimetres.

Currency

The currency in Australia is the Australian Dollar (AUD), subdivided into 100 cents.  The Australian Dollar is also used as the currency in a number of surrounding and outlying islands such as:

·         Christmas Island

·         Cocos Islands

·         Norfolk Island

·         Kiribati

·         Nauru

·         Tasmania

·         Tuvalu

Time Zones

As Australia is in the Southern hemisphere and about 10,500 miles from the UK, there is a significant time difference between the countries.  Calling people in Australia from the UK will need some planning as you may find you call in the middle of the night. 

Australia’s size means it covers numerous time zones, they are:

·         AWT - Australia Western Time (Greenwich Mean Time +8 hours) e.g. Perth and Eucla

·         ACT -  Australia Central Time (Greenwich Mean Time +9.5 hours) e.g. Darwin and Adelaide

·         AET - Australia Eastern Time (Greenwich Mean Time +10 hours) e.g. Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney

Public Holidays and Dates of Interest

Australia has a number of public holidays and special occasions that may have an impact on the delivery of any letters or parcels. If your delivery coincides with any of these dates you may want to get in touch with your parcel's recipient to possibly rearrange or at least advise them of the possible delay.

·         New Year’s Day – 1^st January

·         Australia Day – 26^th January

·         Good Friday – Friday before Easter

·         Easter Monday – Monday after Easter

·         Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) – 25^th April

·         Labour Day – 1^st Monday in October (ACT, NSW and SA), 2^nd Monday in March (Victoria and Tasmania), 1^st Monday in March (WA, or 1st Monday in May (Queensland and Northern Territory).

·         Queen’s Birthday – 2^nd Monday in June (All States except WA).

Customs Information

Sending parcels to Australia will require appropriate paperwork to be filled out; failure to do so will mean that your parcel could be delayed or even returned, which could mean a long and time-consuming return of your parcel to you.

Often a customs form (either a CN22 or CN23 form, depending on the parcel value) or commercial invoice will be required to be attached to your parcel.

CN22 – this is required on all goods up to a value of £270 and must be attached to the front of the parcel.  Current CN22 forms are white, older versions were green but these have expired and should not be used for parcel deliveries.

CN23 – this is needed on all goods above the value of £270 and needs to be attached inside a clear plastic wallet to the outside of your parcel. 

Alternatively you can use our commercial invoice which meets all requirements, and can be filled out when you place your order.  If you need any assistance with filling out the commercial invoice (download the PDF here ) or get in touch with our live help team.

*Note - undeclared items and false details will be investigated and could result in your parcel being rejected or returned to its sender.  For this reason it is important to ensure that you provide a return address on your parcel.

Import restrictions

Australia’s Customs and Border Protection Department is a government agency that is incredibly important to this island nation. In the past the country has experienced devastating effects from animals, insects or even plant life that has been mistakenly or intentionally brought in the country. 

Australia has a lengthy list of restricted goods which includes familiar items such as firearms and narcotics, but also covers items such as food, insects (some items such as rugs and mats need to be searched and cleansed of any bugs or insects) and even the Australian flag.

See the Australian Customs website for a detailed list of restricted and prohibited items at http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4369.asp

Export restrictions

Exporting items from Australia is also subject to checks and a list of prohibited and restricted items (items you will need written consent to export) can be found again on the Australian Customs website at http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page4381.asp.  Whilst exporting to the UK is permitted, there are a number of countries under UN sanctions to which goods cannot be exported, or have limits as to what can be sent to them. These include:

·         Afghanistan

·         Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

·         Democratic Republic of Congo

·         Eritrea

·         Iran

·         Lebanon

·         Liberia

·         Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (Libya)

·         Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)

·         Sudan

FAQ's

Many people will have questions about sending a parcel over any long distance, and about sending a parcel to Australia in particular. If you have any other questions that aren’t answered here please get in touch with us via our live help section or via the phone.

What customs forms do I need for sending to Australia?

Customs declaration forms can be downloaded from us. Use our commercial invoice link below to download a printable form to use on your parcel.  Attach it to your parcel inside a clear document window.

How long will my parcel take to arrive in Australia?

This will depend on the service you choose for your delivery.  All of our couriers are able to help deliver your parcels to Australia quickly, which can be in as little as four days with some couriers.

Do I have to pay any taxes on my parcel delivery?

In most cases it will be the recipient who has to pay any customs or duty charges that apply to the parcel entering Australia.  You may elect to pay the charges yourself at a later date (if sending a present to a relative for example) but duty and import tax will most likely need to be paid by the recipient before the parcel can be released for delivery.  Your courier will generally get in touch with them to arrange payment.

Does the recipient have to pay any taxes?

The parcel's recipient may be subjected to taxes and customs charges in their country depending on what you are sending.  It is worthwhile checking before you send whether there are going to be any tax/customs payments and at least advise the recipient of what these may be.  Misquoting parcel values on customs forms is an offence and is likely to delay your parcel delivery or mean it cannot be delivered.

How much does it cost to ship to Australia?

The size and weight of your parcel will determine your shipping costs but many of the services we provide via our selected couriers have a generous weight limit.  Many worldwide delivery services here on Parcel2Go.com cost as little as £29.

What happens if the recipient is not in when my parcel is delivered?

This can happen, so most couriers will leave a card containing their contact details to allow the recipient to rearrange the delivery for a more convenient time or to an alternative address.  After a period of time if the delivery has been unsuccessful then the parcel will be returned to you.  (Note: it’s important to include a clearly marked return address on your parcel).

Does my parcel need to go via airmail?

Useful Links

Australia Parcel Delivery – Our Australia delivery page has details of all of the services that deliver to Australia.

Download Commercial Invoice Form – Download our commercial invoice form which must accompany your parcel in order for it to pass through customs.

eBay Shipping Tool – If you have sold items online at eBay we have a dedicated shipping tool for you to use.

Parcel Tracking – Our parcel tracking page allows you to track your delivery ordered through us with any of the couriers and parcel delivery firms available on the site.

Sea Freight Enquiry – Visit our sea freight page to find out about sending your parcel via sea as opposed to air freight.